The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Faruque Ahmed has left the door open for Shakib Al Hasan’s inclusion in the ICC Champions Trophy squad but admitted to having no updates on the all-rounder’s current status about playing for Bangladesh.

Speaking after a board meeting in Mirpur, Faruque acknowledged Shakib’s eligibility for selection but said his participation remains uncertain. 

“Shakib’s case is a completely different matter. This isn’t new. During the last series against the West Indies, he wasn’t mentally prepared to play, so he didn’t travel. Now, whether he will play in the BPL is something only he can decide. I don’t have any updates on his situation,” Faruque told reporters. 

Despite Shakib’s absence from recent series and his retirement from Tests and T20Is, Faruque reiterated that as long as a player has not retired, they remain available for selection. 

However it is doubtful whether Shakib could be minded to officially announce his retirement anymore, after the hostile reaction to his desire to retire from Test cricket by appearing in the home series against South Africa last month.

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On Tamim Iqbal, who has been out of the national side for over a year, Faruque said the decision lies with the selectors.

“The chief selector has already spoken about Tamim. There’s no special policy yet. If a player hasn’t retired and the selectors feel they are needed, they will engage in discussions with that player,” he explained.

In the ongoing inaugural edition of the National Cricket League T20, Tamim showed promising form. But his participation in the Champions Trophy, which will be held next February 2025 in Pakistan, remains uncertain.

Tamim had announced his retirement from T20Is in 2022. In 2023, he stunningly announced his retirement from international cricket, but was persuaded to take back that announcement in 24 hours by deposed autocrat Sheikh Hasina.